Midnight Brown is a grey-and-yellow-based brown on my arm, with fine micro-shimmer in predominantly silver and green with occasional gold and red. (On my lids, it applies as a complex neutral taupe.) Smoothly pigmented (this is one swipe with the sponge applicator) and a breeze to blend and place, this shade and Pale Barley are a great improvement on the older Burberry eyeshadow formula.

Earthy makes such a good summer/warm weather contour because while still dusty and properly shadowy it doesn't rely as heavily on grey tones for coolness as most traditional shading colours do. Instead, like Midnight Brown, it employs a big whack of yellow alongside grey and pink to mimic the warmer shadows cast by the brighter, more golden light of summer/warmer climates. For winter/my usual lemony English sunlight, I turn to a cooler grey&pale-pink-based shade like Illamasqua Primal but in tropical ambery light that can appear artificially ashy, so I'm pleased this option from Burberry fills that gap. (....Prrrrrobably not a gap that exists for anyone else. Yes, I'm insanely persnickity.)

Comparisons

Hibiscus looked neutral next to Bright Plum, but its pinky coolness and brightness are much more evident swatched next to a warmer deep red like Shu Uemura RD178M.

See what I mean about Earthy's summery-earthiness contrasted against a more traditionally grey-pink-brown like MAC's classic contour shade Strada? (If not, that's okay, because I've terribly helpfully switched the labels. XD) These are artifically heavy swatches of course -- blended out on the skin the difference is far subtler and I can swing both with a light hand. Which is easier to achieve with Burberry because its texture blows MAC's out of the water.

***MISLABELLED! Top is Earthy, bottom is Strada.***

Midnight Brown between the bronze from Suqqu Blend Eyeshadow 01 Kakitsubata quad (with which it shares a yellow base) and Rouge Bunny Rouge Bohemian Waxwing (which is also a sneaky taupe one me, albeit more mauve-based). The Suqqu is the smoothest and most metallic (but a delicate, sparkly metallic); Midnight Brown has a very similar texture to the new RBR iridescents.

For the scent-sensitive:

Burberry lipsticks are rose-scented, about as strongly as Chanel Rouge Allures, milder than Guerlain Rouge Automatiques.

Blushes also have a light sweet rose scent, fainter and less powdery than Chanel Joues Contrastes.

MUS, you're a lemming creator. Happily I'll go to get Midnight Brown after Italy-England match, and maybe I'll get another shade, Antique Rose. I'm still undecided about Shiseido High Beam, I'm wondering if that will suit my skintone, or should I get the golden one. Cheers!!! :D